great question togergo
Keen to hear the answers here too (maybe a list would be good)

beachbreak a.k.a Sean
Turn up the Reverb!!

My band, Urban Surf Kings, is a trio. I really like the musical flexibility it gives us to take things "off script". Another thing I like about the trio format is that space/silence can play a big role in our sound (not that it couldn't be done with a bigger group). Plus there is one less person to pay.

Rev

Other instro trios from Canada:

Shadowy Men
Atomic 7
Huevos Rancheros

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

Good question!
I really love the transparent sound you get by playing in a trio and have been playing surf in trios a lot myself. And because of that I have always kind of been in the lookout for other surf trios to steal... err learn from. However trios seem to be pretty much a third wave thing - only four persons or more on stage in the 60s. And in the studio almost every trio seems to add additional guitars...

My favorite trios are:

Astromama (Germany, defunct and almost forgotten)
King Charles Head (Netherlands, now defunct, but their album is still available on Kamikaze Records)
Langhorns (Sweden)
Man or Astro-Man? (were a trio on the first album at least)
Mermen / Shi-Tones
Razorblades (Germany - they were a four piece in the beginning)
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet (Canada, defunct/reunited)
Slacktone (USA)
Surf Coasters (Japan)
Threesome (Serbia)

Am I wrong or are trios really a more popular format outside the USA?

Los Apollos - cinematic surf music trio (Berlin)
"Postcards from the Scrapyard" Vol. 1, 2 & 3 NOW available on various platforms!
"Chaos at the Lobster Lounge" available as LP and download on Surf Cookie Records!

Our band is a trio (the Royal Aces), and I wouldn't have it any other way. Easier to organize, better distribution of pay, and our trio format has never had any negative impact on our ability to secure lots of gigs. There are some tunes where I'd like to hear a rhythm guitar chunking away, but not so seriously that I would actually want a fourth person. And, I like the extra "air" and dynamics of a three-piece.
When recording, it's fun to add acoustic or electric rhythm tracks, lightly mixed in, but for gigs the trio approach has worked just fine.
www.reverbnation.com/theroyalaces

Messer Chups!

Paul
Atomic Mosquitos
Bug music for bug people is here!
Killers from Space

image

*Dick B.
The Aquatudes
http://www.aquatudes.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Aquatudes/107419619521

Last edited: Mar 16, 2013 23:09:45

The Infrareds and early Ghastly Ones were 3 piece. I'm impressed with Messer Chups' live clips. Their records seemed so chopped, processed and sampled, but that guitar player conveys some of that studio weirdness pretty well in the live setting.

>

I think a trio needs to have really special players and/or a virtuoso (or two) of sorts (Slacktone), unless they play off-the-wall crazy stuff (Mermen) or their original compositions are written for a 3-piece. Three regular players trying to noodle through the standards which should have a distinct rhythm guitar (or organ) just sounds thin/hollow in my opinion. Of course, in the studio, you can do whatever you want, but what does it sound like live?

I disagree in part: I have played/play in a three piece and I am not a virtuoso guitar player as Dave Wronski and I don't go as far as Jim Thomas (but they are both huge inspirations for me). The key element of making a trio work in a surf context is really songwriting an arrangements. Of course playing certain songs from the "standard repertoire" is difficult (some are impossbile, I think), but when you start writing your own stuff for just three people you get forced into doint something other than "standard stuff", which is one of the things I admire in all the trios I mentioned above (who by the way don't sound thin or hollow at all).

Los Apollos - cinematic surf music trio (Berlin)
"Postcards from the Scrapyard" Vol. 1, 2 & 3 NOW available on various platforms!
"Chaos at the Lobster Lounge" available as LP and download on Surf Cookie Records!

I find that even the best Surf trios sound a bit lacking to my ears. I always say to myself "wow that's a great song but wouldn't it sound even better with another guitar part."
I also think that most Surf trios seem to lean a bit more towards a Garage Rock sound due to the stripped down nature of the band.

We (Meteor Men) have discussed doing a trio more than once but I'd much rather perform with another good guitarist. When I write an original song it generally always has two guitar parts and while I can pull it off by myself to a degree live, it never sounds quite the same or as full. A good 2nd guitar just adds so much more to the mix and creates a more dynamic live sound. With the right musician it's just a win / win imho.

METEOR IV on reverbnation

Last edited: Jul 07, 2013 16:12:22